Sunshine
by Dylan S. Thompson
Summary: this is Neville's thoughts on a trip to st. Mungo's to visit his parents


Sunshine

Gran was on me again about my grades today. I swear, sometimes I just want to slap her. It doesn't matter to her that I'm second in my class in Herbology (behind Hermione, of course), or that I'm pretty average in all my other classes; her eyes instantly fall upon my abysmal potions grade. It's not bloody fair! Why does she have to focus on my faults?  
  
I've been home for two entire weeks, and she's found a reason to yell at me every day. And today I finally reached my wits end. So I dragged out my only effective defense against her. I looked up at her in my most pitiful face and asked, "May we please go visit mum and dad today, Gran?"  
  
Not only does this get her to shut her mouth for the rest of the day, but it gets her to leave me alone for at least a week. I swear, sometimes, I hate her. Just because I'm not a great wizard like Harry or Hermione, she looks down on me.  
  
I hate using my parents as a defense mechanism, but I think they would understand. I mean, they must know how she is. She was one of their parents. Strange...I've never asked if Gran was my mum or dad's mum. She always refers to them both as her children, and the only pictures she owns of them are when they're grown and together. I'll have to ask about that sometime.  
  
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Now we're at St. Mungo's. The walls around me practically glow with coldness and sterility. I look around the waiting room while Gran asks the nurse if we can go in. The person that catches my eye is a little girl, maybe nine years old and all alone, playing in the corner. She reminds me of myself, the first time Gran took me to visit my parents.  
  
Up until I was almost ten, Gran told me that my parents were dead; killed by the followers of Voldemort. Then, right before I went to Hogwarts, she told me the entire story. I demanded to visit them the very next day. I think that was the first time I had ever demanded anything of Gran. I came to Mungo's for the first time certain that I would have the power to wake them up, that once they saw me they would spring up and hug me. But they didn't, and they never will. What I didn't understand then, and what I see perfectly clearly now, is that the horrifying pain inflicted on them completely destroyed their mind.  
  
I walk over to the little girl, who is now distractedly flipping through some random magazine. I sit down beside her and ask softly, "You want a piece of candy?" The girl's eyes light up and the magazine drops to her lap, instantly forgotten.

"What kind?" she asks.  
  
I reach into my jacket pocket (I always get cold at Mungo's. I don't know why.) and pull out a myriad of candy for the girl to choose from. I smile brightly and ask, "What kind do you want?"

She reaches out with her tiny hand to select a piece, but then, when she was only inches away from the sweets, she freezes and looks up at me distrustfully.  
  
"My mummy says I shouldn't take candy from strangers...especially ones I don't know."  
  
I smile and nod. The mantra that's drilled into every child's brain, no matter if they're witch or muggle. "Your mum's right; you should never do that. However, I'm pretty sure I can't finish all this alone. So, we must remedy the situation." I stick out my hand and say, "My name's Neville Longbottom." I always stress the first part of my name to make kids laugh more. And sure enough, the girl giggles uncontrollably and exclaims:  
  
"You've a funny name!"  
  
"Well," I say, laughing along with the girl, "Now that I've told you my name...what's yours?"  
  
"I'm Sarah, Sarah Donnely" replies the girl, finally shaking my outstretched hand.  
  
"Now that we're not strangers anymore, would you like some candy?" The girl nods and takes a morsel. We munch silently on the sweets for a few minutes before I ask, "So, what are you doing here?" I hope and pray that she's not sick. I would hate it if such a sweet girl had to suffer.  
  
"My mummy's here for her Treatment." She squeals. I nod silently. So, her mom is sick. I wonder what she has?  
  
"What is her treatment going to make better?" I ask carefully. Often, kids' moods swing from insanely happy to tearful in seconds, all depending on what you say.  
  
Sarah is silent for a moment, probably trying to remember exactly what her mother does have. Finally she looks up at me uncertainly and says, "Uh...I think she has something called...um, Cancy?"  
  
I nod. Cancer: one of the few diseases that wizarding medicine hasn't found a cure for. However, if you find it early enough it can be treated. I hope, for Sarah's sake, that her mother discovered it early. I am about to ask her what kind of cancer her mum had, but, before I could, Gran comes up to me and says, "We can go in now."  
  
I get up and say to Sarah, "Goodbye Sarah, I hope your mum gets better!"  
  
She smiles and calls back, "Bye-bye Neville LONGbottom." I leave the room to the sound of her laughter.  
  
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Gran lets me go in alone. I stare down at the motionless bodies of my parents. Right now they are just staring straight up at the ceiling, blinking maybe twice a minute. Sometimes they move around, but that's becoming more and more rare. Every time I come here, I search for a spark of recognition. But it never comes.  
  
My mum used to be a beautiful woman, with long blonde hair and sparkling green eyes. Almost as green as Harry's. From pictures I've seen of her, she always wore a determined smile on her face. Now her blond hair is greasy and stringy, comes from only getting bathed twice a week, and her eyes are dead. And I've never seen a smile on her face.  
  
My dad used to me a solidly built man, who looked as if he could hold the world on his shoulders like Atlas. Now, his muscles have disappeared, comes from only getting out of bed once or twice a month. His black hair, which used to cover his entire head, is now as stringy and greasy as mums, but he's also almost completely bald. His eyes, which used to be bright blue, are also dead.  
  
I just stare at them for a while, not moving or making a sound. They continue to stare up at the ceiling. However, eventually I start to cry...just as I always do. While I cry I still don't move or make a sound. The salty tears slide down my round face silently, and I make no sobbing sounds. It is only when the tears end that I speak.  
  
"Mum, Dad. I love you. I love you more than any other people in the world. And I just want you to know that I'll avenge you. If it's the last thing I do, if I have to die doing it, I will rid the world of the darkness that made you the way you are now. I swear it!" I make this oath every time I come here. And I mean every word of it. I WILL avenge them, even if it costs me my life.  
  
I look at them for a few more minutes, and then I exit the room. They are still staring at the ceiling when I leave. I let Gran go in for a few minutes to say whatever it is she says, and then we leave. As I pass by the waiting room, I notice that Sarah has left. If my guess was right, then she'll be in first year when I'm in my seventh. Maybe I'll see her then, and find out what happened with her mum. Maybe by then, I'll have started to carry out my pledge.

END


End file.
